Album: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon by Devendra Banhart (2007)
Genre: Folk | Style: Rock/Pop | Mood: Carefree
Record Label: Heavy Flowers
Format: Album

Description: Recorded in Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica mountains. Neil Young lived there while recording "After The Gold Rush" and the area has also been home to Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Joni Mitchell, Mick Fleetwood, and members of The Doors. Those ghosts inhabit the sound and vibe of these recording sessions. Banhart's whole "freak folk" tag is gone, replaced with this classic, gorgeous rock album. Some songs are fragile and solipsistic, others have a pronounced tropicalia influence, and still others are wildly electric and epic. 

Artist Background: Devendra Obi Banhart (born May 30, 1981) is a Venezuelan American singer-songwriter and visual artist. Banhart was born in Houston, Texas and was raised by his mother in Venezuela, until he moved to California as a teenager. He began to study at the San Francisco Art Institute in 1998, but dropped out to perform music in Europe, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Banhart released his debut album in 2002, continuing to record his material on the Young God and XL labels, as well as other work on co... Part of the Houston, Texas, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1980s era. Associated with Folk movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Music Scene: Part of the Houston, Texas, USA music scene. Emerged in the 1980s era. Associated with Folk movement. Known for Rock/Pop style.

Tags: Folk, Rock/Pop, Carefree, 2000s, Album, Heavy Flowers

Additional Context: Rating score: 7. Based on 2 votes. Available on Discogs marketplace


Recorded in Topanga Canyon in the Santa Monica mountains. Neil Young lived there while recording "After The Gold Rush" and the area has also been home to Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Joni Mitchell, Mick Fleetwood, and members of The Doors. Those ghosts inhabit the sound and vibe of these recording sessions. Banhart's whole "freak folk" tag is gone, replaced with this classic, gorgeous rock album. Some songs are fragile and solipsistic, others have a pronounced tropicalia influence, and still others are wildly electric and epic. 

Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon

Devendra Banhart

Track List

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